Overview
- United Flight 803, a Boeing 777-200 (registration N78004), landed back at Dulles around 1:20 p.m. after dumping fuel over the Fredericksburg area.
- All 275 passengers and 15 crew members were uninjured, and United is rebooking customers with a replacement aircraft scheduled to operate the route later Saturday.
- Heat or debris from the departing jet ignited brush near a runway, prompting airport and mutual-aid crews to extinguish several small fires and briefly disrupt operations.
- The aircraft was met by emergency responders and is undergoing inspection as maintenance teams assess the engine issue.
- Social media posts and local responders reported visible smoke near the runway and a black trail seen from the aircraft shortly after departure.